Inducting ₹35,000 Cr mining scam accused Reddy into BJP is aimed to generate money: Congress

New Delhi: Congress today cornered the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Prime Minister for inducting G Janardhana Reddy, a tainted politician accused of Rs 35,000 crore mining scandal, into the party.

Reddy was inducted into the party yesterday and later his pictures with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah were circulated in the media.

Congress specially targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him what happened to his claims of fighting corruption, while inducting someone who is facing the CBI probe for the mining scam to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here today, party spokesperson and the Chairman of the Media and Publicity in the Communications department, Pawan Khera alleged that inducting Reddy into the party was the plan B of the BJP to generate money after the electoral bonds were held illegal by the Supreme Court of India.

“Now it will be a direct partnership”, he remarked, while suggesting that the BJP will now be inducting such potential donors irrespective of their record or reputation. “Reddy is now again a client of the BJP’s washing powder”, he remarked, while taunting the BJP for inducting tainted leaders and then issuing them a clean chit.

Khera said, when late Sushma Swaraj contested against Sonia Gandhi in Bellary in 1998, the “Bellary Brothers” as Janaradhana and his brothers are jointly known, took care of Ms Swaraj’s election campaign and afterward the BJP took care of them.

The Congress spokesperson asked the Prime Minister whether it is not a fact that about 20 cases are pending against Reddy and why was he still accorded a red carpet by the BJP.

He asked, why was the CBI investigation against the Bellary Brothers being slowed down. He pointed out, that despite Lok Ayukta and CBI inquiry against him, Prime Minister Modi was still saving him. “Haven’t your claims about fighting corruption turned completely hollow?” he asked the Prime Minister.

Khera disclosed that one of the judges had alleged that the same Janaradhana Reddy had offered him a bribe of Rs 40 crores for granting him bail. Such people are extended red carpet in the BJP, he remarked.

The Congress spokesperson also referred to the partnership between Reddy and a senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa saying, it was known as the “Yedi-Reddy” partnership and was quite famous and Yediyurappa had to spend some time in jail also for this reason.